, 1887-07-28
THE INQUEST ENDED.
The Jury Find Link and Baker
Guilty of Criminal CareIessness.
Evidence Given by Sheriff Sterling,
of Albany County.
General Impression That the Sad
Occurrence Was Accidental.

A large audience listened to the pro-
ceedings in the adjourned and final meet
ing of the coroner's jury in the Polling
case at the city hall yesterday afternoon.
Prosecuting Attorney Stoll was on hand
to represent the territory, while the pris-
oners charged with the killing, Baker and
Link, occupied seats inside the railing,
but spoke only through their counsel,
Judge Lacey. The young deputies pre-
scented a sorry appearance as they listened
attentively to the testimony given by
Sheriff Sterling, of Albany county, who
was the only witness examined. His
statements threw very little additional
light on the unfortunate affair, his evil
dence being confined to the relation of
occurrences prior to and following the
shooting, which was observed by
no one except the participants in the
tragedy.
Mr.. Sterling willingly plead guilty to
the accusation Of officiating as sheriff of
Albany county, and said that Link and
Baker were special deputies appointed by
the county commissioners during his alb
sence on a business trip in the east. They
were selected for the reason that they
were familiar with the country and were
considered courageous and reliable. Ba-
ker had at one time encountered the six
escaped prisoners in a body in the noun
tains, and single handed had managed to
capture Nichols and convey him to Lara
mic. Link is regarded as a dead shot,
and so accurate in his aim that he often
kills flying birds with a six shooter. The
most important facts elected by Sheriff
Sterling's deposition were that the dead
and wounded man bore a remarkable re-
semblance to Linn and Jones, the fugi-
tives whom the officers were pursuing;
that Baker and Link were u~nacquainted
with the criminals and had been told
to use great caution in effectlng
their arrest, as both were desperate char
a%cters; told of the sorrow and fear of the
prisoners when informed that they had
shot innocent men. Link had told him
that several shots had been fired with a
view to frightening the men, and had
only aimed at Polling when the latter ap-
preached a narrow and deep ravine on
the opposite side of which was a wire
fence, and he only shot the man in order
that he might not crawl under the OBJ
struction and escape, as he could not
then be followed on horseback. Link
told the sheriff that he and Baker had
shouted to the flying men: I'VE are Off
GERS of the law; halt or we will
shoot"
Cooley. the wounded man now lying at
the county hospital, said that he had ele-
waited his hands, but on second thought
had lowered them and ran, giving as a
reason for this action hat he believed the
officers were cowboys on a lark. Mr..
Sterling testified that had the two strang-
ers been armed their weapons could have
been discerned at the point where the
deputies stood when shooting. When he
reached the scene and informed the boys
of their terrible error, they inquired if
there was any likelihood of serious trouble
over the affair. He informed them that
as the occurrence was purely accidental
there would probably be no serious trouble
so far as they we're concerned, but advised
them to return to McLaughlin's Horse
creek ranch and await developments, as
the railway laborers about Chugwater
were becoming agitated and might resort
to desperate measures before they learned
that the incident was accidental and well
nigh unavoidable. Link and Baker had
ridden into Laramie and surrendered
themselves without being requested to
do SO.
In a private conversation with Sheriff
Sterling he mentioned to a reporter sew
eral incidents in the tragedy which were
not brought out during the %coroner's in
quest. From conversation with the
prisoners while enroute from Laramie to
Cheyenne, they continually regretted the
terrible accident, and remarked that they
had no desire to again engage in the pur-
suit of criminals. He is under the i'm
preston Link shot both men, but
cannot be absolutely certain, as the
boys insist that they will suffer
equally if any penalty is to be inflicted
upon either. Baker was considered the
more cautious of the pair, and had ex-
hibited great bravery in the capture Of
Nichols. while neither had ever been con-
sidered other than what they appeared
peaceable and law abiding citizens, who
lived IN their ranches a greater portion of
their time. Link was undoubtedly
afraid that arms were concealed in that
ravine.
AS has been mentioned before, Baker
is well known IN Cheyenne, having at
tended school here, and at one time Off
ciated as a Sunday school teacher for one
of the local societies. He was considered
a steady and promising young man by all
who knew him.
Tho nnronor's ;,,,. ..u.l 49,.